


The Cliff That Time Forgot

by Blueleaf12



Series: The Music of Earthbound [1]
Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound
Genre: -trumpet hell-, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Some angst, an alternative to this is just jeff and poo being the when mom isn't home kid and dad, and everyone assumes he and paula are dating at the end, jeff and tony had more chemistry than they did, ness is autistic because i said so, tfw ness and paula's relationship isn't even developed in game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 11:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19131118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueleaf12/pseuds/Blueleaf12
Summary: Before the battle with Giygas, Ness and Paula share some words at the edge of the world.





	The Cliff That Time Forgot

“Are you ready, Jeff?”

“I’m as ready as I can be.” Jeff replied. He took his glasses off and shoved them into his pocket as he looked at Poo. “I hope you are going to the right place, because I can’t see _anything_ now.” He paused. “I’m not losing my glasses _again_.”

“I guess you’ll have to, ah, _see_ when we get there.” Poo replied, trying not to laugh.

Jeff groaned, but in a playful way. “Let’s just go before I push you off this cliff myself.”

Poo nodded. He took Jeff’s hand and backed up from the edge of the cliff, far enough that they could teleport safely.

Ness watched them teleport a little ways away at the edge of the cliff; he and Paula’s legs dangled over the edge, the void threatening to swallow them.

Poo and Jeff teleported straight off the edge of the cliff, jumping as far as they could. Just as they hit the swallowing blackness, they were gone.

Now, Ness and Paula were alone.

Silence fell between them. Neither Ness nor Paula really knew what to say. Finally, Paula broke the silence. “Do you think Tony’ll finally tell Jeff his feelings when he and Poo head back to Winters? Before… the end?”

Ness, not the best person to ask for relationship advice, merely shrugged.

Paula stared at the void. The void stared back. “I have a feeling Jeff knows. I can sense it from him. He’s a little dense when it comes to that kind of stuff, but he’s known Tony for a long time. I just don’t know if Jeff can face it just yet.”

Ness shrugged again.

“I guess we’ll have to see when they get back.” Paula replied.

Silence fell between them again. Ness’s gaze fell back on the void as his hand inched towards Paula’s on the grass as they sit side by side. The texture of the grass, seemingly timeless, brushed his fingers.

“Y’know, if you wanted to hold my hand, you could have just asked.” Paula said.

Ness froze. He felt like someone just bludgeoned him half to death with his own baseball bat. He went as red as his lucky baseball cap as he looked away quickly.

Paula laughed. “You don’t hafta be embarrassed, Ness. I don’t mind.”

It took Ness a second to get his composure back. He managed to look back to Paula, who was smiling at him. He managed a small smile back, but it felt forced. Nervous.

Paula’s own smile flickered and died. “What’s the matter?”

Ness’s hand inched ever closer to Paula’s, finally touching it. She accepted his hand in her own, squeezing back when Ness’s hand tightens on hers.

He hoped she didn’t notice his sweaty palms as he felt like his stomach was going to give out next to the edge of the cliff.

“...I don’t… know what’s the matter.” He finally said. He fought to get the words out. His throat was dry, and he had also been silent for so long. He could barely make himself talk. “I know what we must do. To defeat…” He trailed off. He felt like he was going to choke on _that name_. He couldn’t make himself say it.

Ness continued on anyway, forcing himself to speak. The coldness in his chest threatened to seize his lungs. “From the moment I saw that meteor in Onett, and this mission was put on me… I knew it would be risky.” He paused. “Not… _this_ risky, though.”

“What, that’d you’d also be putting your friends’ lives in danger?” Paula prompted.

Ness blinked, taken aback.

“You’re pretty easy to read, you know.” She replied. “And being a psychic and all.

“I’ve been getting that feeling more and more from you lately. Especially after Lumine Hall…”

“...Yeah.” Ness replied. _Especially yours_.

Paula, normally more composed, looked stunned. Ness himself already felt awkward, but he could see Paula blushing, too. She looked away. “You don’t have to worry about me, Ness. I know what we’re getting ourselves into. To save the others… I’m ready.”

Ness shifted closer to Paula. Paula shifted closer to Ness. Their hands were still together, but now, their fingers were intertwined. More relaxed.

“Even through the end of the world… I’m glad I met you. And Jeff and Poo, too. But you… most of all. I never knew anyone else that was psychic like me. When I was younger, my parents always thought I was just a crybaby because I was sensitive to other people’s emotions… until I learned to be more objective to their emotions that I felt.” She paused. “Until I contacted you and you saved me, and when we later met Poo. I thought I was alone.”

Ness nodded. “I feel the same way. I love my sister Trucy a lot, but she’s not psychic. And neither is my mom, or my dad… I was the odd one out. Until I met you, and Poo.”

“I felt like I _really_ connected with you, Ness. Something I had not done with anyone else on this level. Especially when we waited in the dark in Threed for Jeff to save us… I thought I was going to go mad, Ness. I really, truly, did. But you were the calm that I needed. You kept your head and helped me send that message to Jeff.

“I don’t know what I would have done without you. Thank you.”

Ness blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re welcome.”

Silence passed between them once again, but a comfortable silence. Ness took in Paula’s presence, and enjoyed her holding his hand.

Ness, finally, spoke again. He almost finds himself falling into too deep of a silence, one that would take a long time to get out of. He _wants_ to say this, nonverbal shit be damned. “I… really care about you, Paula. I care about Jeff and Poo, too, but…” _I care about you the most. I_ like _you the most. I…_

Ness felt his pulse thudding through his hold body, especially in his hand that held Paula’s. His entire body seemed to thud in time with his heart. He could feel it in his ears. It quickened. It--

 _You don’t have to say it._ Paula said in Ness’s mind. _I can feel it. I_ know _. I_ know _it’s love. And that’s all I need._

_Maybe we’re just kids. Maybe it’s too young for us to say this. But I do love you, Ness. I love and like you a lot. And fighting for the safety of the world isn’t going to change that._

_Paula, I--_ Before Ness could finish his thought, he saw something in the corner of his eye. He watched Poo and Jeff teleport back into the cave.

Jeff and Poo skidded to a half in the grass, leaving behind skid marks so deep and powerful it turned up mud. Psychic fire burned after them in the grass, charring it black. Poo busied himself with putting out the fires while Jeff brushes himself off and put his glasses back on.

Paula jumped to her feet when she saw that they’re back. She let go of Ness’s hand, but leaned back in to give him a small peck on the cheek. She gave him one last smile before she ran off to pester Jeff about Tony.

Stunned, Ness watched Paula as he touched his cheek where Paula kissed him. The spot is still warm (and full of her spit). He felt his own face heat up again.

He was absolutely smitten.

 _Now I know_ . Ness thought as Jeff attempted to dodge Paula’s invasive questions to his love life. _Now I know we can finally defeat…_ him.


End file.
